Japan Flying High Out Of Canada

New flight services to Japan from Vancouver are helping to ensure that more Canadians visit, while a new bullet train service has opened up more tourism territory once they get there, reports western editor, Ted Davis in this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier.

A schedule of direct non-stop flights between Vancouver and Osaka will start on May 1, with operations by Air Canada rouge. This is the first trans-Pacific rouge flight, and the only direct flight between Canada and Osaka.

Five flights per week will operate from YVR to Kansai International Airport (KIX) in Osaka, using a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft on the route, with a choice of economy and premium economy cabins.

“Air Canada rouge does not offer business class, therefore we can offer more economy seats that cater to the leisure customer,” says Rocky Lo, the general manager of Asia business development for Air Canada. There are 256 economy class seats with a 30-inch pitch on the rouge-spec B767. The 24 premium rouge seats have a 37-inch pitch, and that cabin gets an enhanced meal service, including free alcoholic drinks. Osaka passangers get an allowance of two free checked-in bags, but there is a charge for alcoholic beverages in economy class.

Instead of a seat-back inflight entertainment system, passengers must bring their iPads or other devices to access the aircraft’s Panasonic movie/TV/audio library. Access to the system is free, provided the passenger downloaded the player before the flight.

For the full story in this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier, click here.